Tropical drysuits

[wmboots]

Hold on there Mojo now your stepping on my toes I teach for both of those agencies :doh: . I will agree there are things in the padi system I would like changed but I do not agree with spending 6 weeks of 4 hours 1 day a week to get someone ready for open water. They forget more during the week than they would retain in a quicker class. As for drysuit training the padi system is pretty extensive and again it depends on the instructor as to whether he takes the time to see you master (did I say MASTER) the skills required to make you ready to take your diving into the open water arena.
I hear and read so much bashing of PADI that it makes me sick and most of it from other American agencies who are more jealous of their success than anything else. I have been teaching for over 10 years now and am quite aware of what the other agencies teach and I applaud all instructors of any credible agency that takes the time to teach their students the proper way.
But it comes down to you getting in the water and getting the diving in to make you a competent diver in all skill levels you are working in. You say you do alot of photo diving so do I, did you learn how to hover and be motionless in 1 dive?
Email me or pm me when you catch me online if I can be of any further assistance. I will say from what you are saying you may be a candidate for a full drysuit and were sweats underneath if you are getting that cold.

 

[mojo]

Sorry- I didn't mean that as any personal jab. I did my open water cert through SSI in 1991 through a dedicated two week camp, where we were in the water every day and did book work every day. I was 14, so the camp was probably a good thing.

However, My nitrox class through SDI a couple years ago was a joke- the 1hour course could be summed up in the phrase "just trust your computer" - no talk of partial pressure, effects on the body, or anything else that might be useful. I ended up buying another book and reading up on my own until I could do the math myself. To spend $100 or whatever for an instructor to say "just read your computer" is a waste.

My PADI advanced course was a complete waste. $200 just so that PADI can let you go past 60 feet? All they wanted was to see that you could hold a certain position, swim in a straight line, and a couple more things. I read the book for my 4 "specialities" in about an hour. Again, I got absolutely nothing out of it except a card that says I'm an "advanced" diver. People can get this after ~15 dives; experiece should determine if you're advanced, not $200 and some book time. I haven't really seen the value of doing any more classes until I need them to rent different gear, etc. I tried to overcome this once, and took a bouancy control classs through SDI. The instructor was more intent on boasting his own experiences than teaching anything of use.

My wife recently started her PADI course, and I read part of the manual. The questions are written for a 3rd grader, and are an insult to anyone with more than a 50 IQ. I realize they're trying to reach a broader audience, but com'on... Lastly, when PADI made the determination several years back that you don't need to know how to swim to be able to learn how to dive, I lost what little respect I had left.

So if I seem jaded, it's because my experience with the classes has been abysmal. From my perspective, I learned very little and wasted the time that they required for a little card. I have no doubt that better instructors exist- this is the case in everything in the world; maybe I just got a bad one every time... and the books were bad every time...

Anyway- it wasn't meant as a personal jab. And sorry for the rant- I feel pretty strongly on this subject (this should probably be in another thread). I still fully expect to go through some kind of class or training, formal or not, when it comes to a tropical drysuit. And either way- I do appreciate the good information you're giving - please don't stop!

 

[xyzpdq0121]

I am with Todd here... Tropical Dry suit?!? Isn't that like an Oxymoron?!? I know your wife's cooking is bad, but if you need us to bring you some food, just ask man! Have a Twinkie or something, seriously!


Wimp!

 

[mojo]

Xyzpdq0121;278872 wrote: I know your wife's cooking is bad

I expected the jokes and ribbing, but to insult my wife is completely uncalled for, esp. when you've only met her briefly once or twice.

 

[washowi]

To quote a great speaker :


"I will gladly pay your Tuesday for a Hamburger today"</em>

Sir Wimpy of Popeye

 

[wmboots]

Mojo,
I guess the icon I used at the end of my first sentence didn't reflect what I was saying. I didn't take offense to your putting Padi or SDI down. As I stated I see areas in Padi's system that needs fixing but when you go back to the old days before Padi, Naui and SSI, instuctors prided themselves on how many students they flunked out instead of creating divers. Without the re-thinking that John Cronin did with certifying divers the dive industry wouldn't have nearly the types and quality of equipment it has today. I don't teach that much SDI but do so to keep up my TDI cert. Understand your frustations but honestly as for Nitrox most of the study you would do in the Padi course is home study and your instructor spending the time needed to make sure you understand what you have studied by going over by going over your knowledge reviews and going over any of the missed questions on the final exam. Advanced diver is more of a certification that gets you more time in the water with your instructor and divemaster to help make you a more competent diver. The true course where you will really learn more is the rescue diver course. You will learn more with deep diver etc. but again they are designed more to get you more dive time with your instructor you will learn new points in diving if you have a good instructor.

 

[corigan]

Wow, I can't believe a PADI discussion came out of a tropical drysuit thread.

I will refrain from this conversation as it always gets nasty. Now onto your regularly scheduled program.

I know some people who will never dive wet. I can't blame them. I tend to get cold by the end of the day, never the less a week of 5 dives a day.

Matt

 

[wmboots]

Hey if you want to bash NAUI or SSI I will be glad to defend them too.
I love the sport of diving and don't like seeing any legit agency bashed there are good and bad instructors in all agencies.
Now on to tropical drysuits yes it is an oxymoron but they are lighter weight and thinner and just another way to market a product. Hey it generates sales for DUI what more do you want, oh yea it does create jobs which are sorely needed in this economy.
:yay:

 

[wmboots]

Hey Corigan as your former instructor just curious how that PADI cave diving class is going. Have the taught that a lead line isn't necessary yet and that it's just for wussies a true caver just goes and doesn't give a care he knows he will find his way back

 

[corigan]

wmboots;282018 wrote: Hey Corigan as your former instructor just curious how that PADI cave diving class is going. Have the taught that a lead line isn't necessary yet and that it's just for wussies a true caver just goes and doesn't give a care he knows he will find his way back

LOL Bill. PADI Cave diving class, do they offer those? I took my classes through the NACD. I'm sure if PADI does teach a cave diving class it will be safe.

Matt

 

[wmboots]

Padi and caving thats about as foriegn as the north pole and 100 degree temps. NO Padi does not teach caving and I would hope they never do I mean there Tech Rec program is the only way you can get advanced nitrox and it limits you to 180', thats why I went to TDI to get my advanced nitrox cert and instructors cert. You went to the right organization for your cave training. If you ever get a chance to hook up with Scott Peterson he is a great guy and can help you with your caving ambitions. He to used to teach for the ole crumegeon where you first learned to dive. Good seeing you again last night and by the way the dive shop in Cartersville is dead.